ANTIDOTES FOR INCOMPATIBLE FOOD COMBINATIONS

Proper combination of food substances, keeping in view the 5 factors given above, can enhance the process of digestion and aid in nutrition of body.

If the negative effects of food items or “antidotes” as given below.

·         Cheese increases congestion and mucous. It aggravates pitta and kapha. To counteract this, you can add black pepper.

·     Eggs in cooked form increase pitta, and in raw form, increase kapha. Turmeric and onions  are the antidotes.

·    Ice-cream increases mucous and causes congestion. If taking ice-cream in inevitable, then top it with clove and cardamom.

·    Curd increases mucous and causes congestion. Cumin and ginger will take care of the ill-effects of curd.

·    Fish increases Pitta. Coconut, lime and lemon are the remedial measures to counteract the bad effects of fish.

·    Meat is heavy to digest. Cloves or pepper powder makes the digestion easer.

·    The bad effects of tea can be lessened with ginger. In the same way, ill-effects of coffee

      can  be kept at bay with nutmeg powder.

·    It is a known fact that sweets increase congestion. Addition of dry ginger powder (sonthi/soonth) to the sweetmeats will decrease the congestion.

·    Tobacco aggravates pitta and stimulates vaata. Brahmi, calamus root (vasa/vacha) are used   as antidotes to tobacco.

·    Rice and wheat increase kapha and fat. Clove and ginger are used to enhance the beneficial effects of these cereals.

·    Legumes produce gas and distention. Garlic, cloves, black pepper, ginger, rock salt or chilli powder are the antidotes.

·    Cabbage produces gas due to its sulphur content. Cook in sunflower oil adding turmeric and mustard seeds.

·    Garlic increases pitta. Grated coconut and lemon counteract this effect.

·    Green salad produces gas. Cooking reduces the gas formation but, at the same time its therapeutic benefits may also be lost. If you want to have salad in raw form, add a little quantity of lemon juice to it.

·    Onions also produce gas. To prevent this either you should take it in cooked form or you should add salt, lemon, curd and mustard seed powder to it.

·    Potato due to its high carbohydrate content produces gas. This can be reduced with ghee and pepper.

·    Tomato increase kapha. Lime and cumin are the antidotes to it.